Line Security - Aeroquip StartLite AN Fittings and Hoses

We didn’t want to take any chances overheating the transmission in our “new” ’71 GMC project truck, so we went ahead and added a secondary external transmission cooler to keep the TH400 healthy and cool. One of the biggest mistakes we see people make is using a fuel hose to deliver transmission fluid to an oil cooler. It may seem like a good idea at first, but take a few trips out on the road on a hot day and the hose will swell-up and leak.

The Aeroquip StartLite hoses are made with a Kevlar Nomex flame resistant cover that will withstand temperatures ranging from 40 degrees below zero to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The StartLite black-anodized AN fittings feature a swiveling body for adjustability. We used the StartLite hose and AN fittings to add a B&M oil cooler to our transmission.

We used Aeroquip’s StartLite AN fittings and hoses to hook up a B&M external transmission cooler—in line with the factory heat exchanger in the radiator. Aeroquip’s reusable black-anodized StartLite AN fittings guarantee a leak-free fit while allowing us to reuse the fittings when we reconfigure the cooling system (nothing stays in place for too long on our trucks). We also ordered a box of the Startlite hose with a Kevlar-Nomex blend sheathing that is flame resistant, so it’s one less thing to fail in your rig.

AN fittings work so well is because the hose is inserted into the female fitting while the male fitting screws into the fitting and hose and causes the hose to lock to the fitting, ensuring a tight leak-free seal.